Darkness
by charmed1s-halliwells
Summary: Futurefic.The first thing Phoebe's daughter Mel feels as an empath is Chris' pain. He's depressed, and Mel tries to help him. But evils brewing in the form of the avatars. Chris and Mel go back in time to stop them. Can the cousins save the world? COMPLET
1. His Pain

**Darkness**

**Chapter 1: His Pain **

**Disclaimer: If you think I in any way own Charmed, you're a psycho.**

I used to think we had one big happy family. I was wrong. The Halliwell family is relatively big, and close. There's my parents and me, my aunts: Paige and Piper. Finally, there's my three cousins Wyatt, Chris and Penny. We did see a lot of each other, but that didn't mean we were happy.

Wyatt, at 18 was the oldest. He was in his final year of Magic School. He was the most popular, and the most powerful person at Magic School. He had more powers than I can even count. He's bossy, and a bit of a perfectionist, but mostly, I loved him. He thought he was close to his younger brother Chris, but in truth it was a false closeness.

Chris is 16 and in 10th grade. He has the powers of orbing and telekinesis, which he worked very hard at. That 's really all any of us knew about him until I discovered his secret. It will always astound me how he hid so much, for so long. It must have eaten him up inside. He must have felt how I had felt when I had eventually learned the truth.

I'm Mel. My full name is Melinda Prudence Halliwell, but I prefer Mel. My mom, Phoebe, always compliments me on how beautiful I am, but I never believed her. I'm creative and sensitive - I cry at the drop of a hat. I'm 14 and I'm in 8th grade at Magic School. I inherited 2 powers from my mother, first premonition, and later, empathy. I also have telepathy which can be annoying. Sometimes, you don't want to know what people are thinking.

Penny Matthews, my youngest cousin, is also my best friend. Before I discovered Chris' secret, we shared everything. She's 12 and in the 6th grade, but she's totally mature for her age. She's into the whole Goth thing , so she has 3 earrings in each ear, she always wears black and puts on tons make - up. She can orb and become invisible, the two coolest powers in the world. Her dad, my uncle Kevin, died about a year ago and she's still pretty broken up about it. You shouldn't mention it unless you're prepared for major waterworks.

It was early one Saturday morning when to unexpected things happened. I got a new power, and I discovered something about my cousin ,Chris. My aunt Piper, Chris and I were the only ones at the table. We were all early risers. I was enjoying a chocolate chip muffin when I felt it. A wave of pain hit me. It was depression, anger and a hint of fear. The pain was so strong that I doubled over in pain tears coming to my eyes.

"What's wrong Mel?" asked my aunt Piper with a worried look on her face.

"Nothing", I answered. I didn't want to tell her anything yet. I knew what must have happened. I was feeling another's emotion just as my mother could do for years. I had developed a new power. Empathy. I looked instinctively at Chris. Our eyes looked for a moment, and I knew it was his pain I had felt.

I looked at Chris seeing him clearly for the first time. His dark green eyes were wells of sorrow. His face was a world of unhappiness, covered by a mask beginning to crumble away. Chris was in pain, he had always been in pain. It hurt him so much...yet none of us had ever realized. Chris quickly excused himself and retreated to his room. Aunt Piper apologized saying she was heading to her club P3 for a few minutes. There's was something Chris felt that puzzled me. Than I knew.

Chris was tired of the pain. He wanted to end it. He was going to kill himself. I ran to his room, barging through the door. There I saw a sight that brought silent tears to my eyes.

"Chris!" I yelled, standing in the doorway.

Chris was stunned. He dropped the knife he was holding to stare at me. He was obviously going to slit his wrists. I look at the pearly white scars on his arm told me that this wouldn't have been the first time he tried it. No one spoke. I decided to just come right out and say it.

"Chris, I know how you've been feeling and...", I didn't have a chance to finish.

Chris shouted, "Look out!"

I had no time to turn before the demon raised a clawed a hand and hit me over the head. I fell to the floor, unconscious...

**TBC...**

**Please read and review. If you do, I promise you a great second chapter and a response to your reviews. Hope you like it, but tell me if you don't. I like suggestions**


	2. The Secrets, the Lies the Pain

**Chapter 2: The Secrets, The Pain, The Lies**

**Thanks lovely reviewers, you're lovely. I still don't own Charmed (unfortunately) **

Alyssa Halliwell: I know... Poor Chris!

svata2004: I guess I'll keep going than.

Sparkling Cherries: Just read to find out why. The real reason will be up...later chapters

IcantthinkofaFnick: read and find out. I'd like to know what happens next too. 

The demon shimmered away. Chris yelled really loud casing Aunt Paige and mom to come running. Of course I didn't know this at the time since I was still out cold, but Chris told me about it later. Mom and Aunt Paige did come running, nearly tripping over my unconscious form. Mom immediately bent down trying to revive me. Chris quickly told her and they ran to the attic to search the Book of Shadows for the demon leaving mom to stay with me.

Mom called and called for Uncle Leo, but he didn't come. He never did. In all the frenzy over my unconsciousness, no one noticed the knife Chris slipped back into his pocket. Aunt Paige ended up getting Wyatt from his early morning football practice to come heal me. I was healed immediately and I was perfectly fine. Mom called aunt Piper and they immediately went to find the demon and vanquish him. Mom got weird when a demon tried to hurt me.

Wyatt went back to football and I was left alone again, alone with Chris. I felt his anguish again, as sharp as ever. It was time for me to talk to Chris, find out why he's feeling the way he is. I walked timidly towards Chris. "We need to talk", I said. Chris sighed and ushered me to his room.

I explained what had happened, "I developed empathy. I can feel what you feel, the pain, the anger, the fear...everything. I know you were trying to kill yourself. What I need to know is why." He sighed again and began to explain. He tried his best to please everyone, but his best was never good enough. Mom and the aunts were always yelling at him for every single thing. He had no friends at school, every one thought he was to weird. But mostly, it was Leo who hurt him.

Leo was never there for him. He was there for the rest of the world, but never for him. He's missed his recitals, his performances, his soccer games, his birthdays, but he's never missed anything of Wyatt's. He didn't love him. He acted as if he didn't exist. On the rare occasions that he did talk to him it was never anything nice. Chris sadly said, "The last time I saw him I got a D on a Magic History test because I didn't understand the questions. He said I was an embarrassment to the Halliwells and he only had one son." And then I found something out... Two things actually...

I didn't let him finish. I didn't need to hear anymore. With my combined powers of empathy and telepathy I knew the rest. And the rest was the most terrible of all. I knew it was the real reason Chris was feeling the way he did.

I noticed that a tear made its way down his cheek. "That's it!" I said. I made my way up to the attic. "What are you doing?" Chris called after me.

"I'm giving uncle Leo a piece of my mind". I reached the Book of Shadows and began quickly flipping. I stopped at the spell I knew would bring uncle Leo to me no matter how busy he was with his avatar duties. I took 5 quartz crystals and formed a circle. Then I confidently said the spell with Chris was standing behind me.

" No matter where he be,

Bring him now here to me.

You know the one whom I desire.

Bring him here

In a burst of fire!"

There was a burst of flame and Leo appeared in the centre of the circle looking rather disgruntled.

"We need to talk about how you've been treating Chris," I said coldly. I couldn't help it. Empathy was really hard to control. I was talking to my uncle Leo as Chris would have if he wasn't standing silently in the corner. Then uncle Leo thought something that made me freeze with disgust.

Did I mention I did that sometimes? Hear what people were thinking accidentally? It's gotten me into trouble more times than I can count. Now I can mostly control it. I only accidentally hear people's thoughts when the thoughts are extremely violent or emotional. Uncle Leo's certainly were.

"Bastard", I whispered looking at uncle Leo with pure hatred. Then I kicked him. It wasn't just any kick. It was a stinging round house kick delivered to his head, harder than I would have kicked any demon. Mom chose the moment to walk into the room just as uncle Leo fell to the floor.

"Mel!" she said in her shocked voice, "what was that for?!"

"You don't know what he did," I whispered, " He killed uncle Kevin."

Mom was stunned at this news. "Are you sure?" was all she had managed to ask.

"Positive", I said vehemently, staring at uncle Leo. I was positive. When I heard those thoughts, I knew.

Inside my head I heard uncle Leo think those chilling thoughts.

_You're getting to nosy for your own good. I might just have to kill you just like I killed your uncle Kevin, _Uncle Leo had menacingly thought...

**TBC...**

**Only if you read and review!!!**


	3. The Other Chris

**Chapter 3: The Other Chris**

**A/N: I STILL don't own Charmed. I'm so happy! I got so many reviews! Thank you all really really much. The more you review, the faster I update (hint, hint). On with the show!!!!**

**Alyssa Halliwell: I know, poor Chris**

**IcantthinkofaFnick: thanks, dun dun dun ... I like evil cliffies!**

**California Chick: I've decided on one of the other reasons, but the second one will come much later. Glad you like it!**

Jade-eye Halliwell: you're nice

We stood there the four of us (me, Chris, mom and uncle Leo) in stunned silence. No one knew how to react to my statement, even me. All I knew was that it was true. Uncle Leo was guilty. Mom was stunned. Chris was quiet. I decided to take charge since no one else was going to do so.

"Leave now and I won't kill you", I said bitterly. You can't blame me for being angry. Emotions were running high in the attic, and empathy was really hard to control. Chris was still very angry with his father. No one, except me, knew the horrors of what Leo had done. Telepathy and empathy worked very well together. I had a feeling that no one would be able to hide anything from me ever again.

Leo orbed away without another word. Mom sat down slowly on the antique sofa staring at me intently. "Are you sure Leo did that to Kevin?" She asked.

"He thought it", I said shrugging my shoulders, "thoughts never lie".

"I'm going to go get your aunts", mom said slowly , "stay with Chris". I knew mom believed me now. Finally I was alone with Chris. For a moment I wished Penny was there. She was at a friends house, she wouldn't be back for hours. Chris and I needed to do some serious talking. We would start with his disturbing discovery. I waited until mom was gone to speak. I turns out I wasn't going to be the first to speak.

I sat down and Chris sat down opposite me. "Mel", Chris started, "since I was small, I've had these...memories of another life...another life where..."

"Where Wyatt was evil and you went back to the past", I finished.

Chris gasped, "How?"

"I'm a telepath and an empath", I replied calmly, "I know".

Chris recovered quickly. He was really begging to open up to me! Of course things wouldn't really be okay until he talked to aunt Piper.

He said, " Most of those memories haven't come true, but some have. I remember when you fell off the tree and broke your arm, I remember when Penny went Goth, I remember when Fifi, that dog we had, ran away. I also remember things that haven't happened yet. In my other life, mom died on my 17th birthday **(A/N: for all purposes of my story this is true, but on the show Piper died when Chris turned 14)**. That's in 3 months. I'm afraid that this memory turns out to be true..."

He trailed off. I felt my eyes well up with tears. I didn't bother brushing them away. This was what Chris had to deal with, every day of his life. Memories of his mother's death that hadn't even happened. "Oh, Chris", I said, tightly embracing my cousin. I stiffened and let go, for I was being pulled into a premonition...

**TBC... only if I get at least 3 reviews. I like reviews. And evil cliffies... they're fun...**


	4. He's Back

**Chapter 4: He's Back**

**A/N: Wow! Amazing response! So many reviews in so little time. I shall respond to them all! Since you're so nice I'm updating as quick as I can. I wish I owned Charmed, but sadly I don't. I own Mel and Penny.**

CaliforniaChick: Hope you stay sucked in my story

Alyssa Halliwell: I know! Poor Chris! Read to find out premonition.

foxhana: I also ♥ Chris. cliffies are fun!

Sparkling Cherries: I ♥ evil Cliffies. GRRRRRRRRR...

ilovedrew88: I'll keep going.

Icantthinkofafnick: Chris' life will get better eventually. In my fic at least.

C.Charmed24/7 : Glad you like it. Leo's evil. 

**The vision that consumed me brought me away from the manor. I was somewhere completely unfamiliar. By glancing out the window I could tell I was in an apartment, and pretty high up. There was a man staring out the window. I had never seen him before, and yet he was vaguely familiar. He was chanting words in some arcane language. I could see a portal forming. Out of the portal stepped the last person I expected to be.**

It was my mother. She looked at the man with a mixture of horror and disgust. Without a word He threw her to a wall. He grabbed her by the neck and began squeezing the life from her body. He was insane. I could see it in his eyes. Pain. Fear. Anger. Insanity. I felt it all. I shut my eyes tight. I didn't want to see anymore. I knew he was killing her, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I was shot out of the vision with the force of a bullet. I nearly knocked Chris over. He looked at me, fear etched in his bright green eyes. "What did you see?" he asked franticly.

I was still in a complete state of shock and disbelief. "Mom", I whispered, "he's going to kill mom..." Chris was flabbergasted.

"Aunt Phoebe?" he asked.

"We have to go now. We have to hurry. To that apartment I saw", I said frantically.

"Okay", Chris said trying to calm himself, "Can you send me a mental picture of the place so I can orb us there".

"I'll try", I said as evenly as I could. I closed my eyes in concentration, envisioning that place once again. Then I pushed that vision into Chris' mind.

"Okay", Chris said extending his hand, "let's go". I grabbed his hand and we orbed away.

We appeared in the apartment just as mom came out of the portal. When I saw that man again I remembered immediately who he was. He was Cole, mom's half demon ex - husband, who was once the source of all evil. He was now an avatar. Without thinking, I jumped in between my mother and Cole. Cole flicked me aside as if I were nothing more than a fly. Then he paralysed me in place. I was helpless. I could do nothing but watch. A sideways glance at Chris showed that he too was paralysed.

The scene from my vision replayed , but this time it was for real. After and agonizing minute, mom was dead. Tears stung the corners of my eyes. Pain welled up inside me, threatening to overflow. With a last look at me, Cole shimmered away. When he was gone, we were able to move again. I rushed to my mother's side. I desperately attempted to revive her. It was no use. She was dead and I had failed.

"There's still a way you can save her", Chris said quietly, his eyes never leaving mom's face.

"HOW!" I yelled a little too angrily. I didn't really think that Chris had a way to bring her back. She was gone and that was that.

You can go back in time. I'm not sure exactly when. If you word the spell right, it will take you when you need to go. Go now. Good luck."


	5. Warnings in the Past

**Chapter 5: Warnings in the Past**

**A/N: You love me, you really, really love me! ( does little bow). So many reviews!. The last chapter was supposed to be a little longer, but something went wrong in the uploading. Enjoy the chap! Do you still think I own Charmed? Course I don't! (tee hee! )**

Sparkling Cherries: Okay! I'll update ! Keep your pants on! lol

Alyssa Halliwell: Don't worry, they'll save her...eventually.

ilovedrew88: You better believe it. he's back!

Jade - eye Halliwell: You really are nice. Thank you for liking my story.

IcantthinkofaFnick: Chris IS cute! I ♥ him. Who doesn't? Chris is hot! His life will improve soon.

C.Charmed24 / 7: You're happy! I don't think I'll be able to update EVERYDAY but I'll update as often as possible.

I knew the spell that I needed to say. It came from my heart, and I knew somehow it would work. I didn't know when I would go, or what I would do to save her, but I knew that It would. I took the chalk I kept in my pocket and drew a triquetra on the wall. It was the symbol of my family's power and it would act as the portal for my spell. Lucky for me I always got A s in Spells class and I was unusually good at making up spells on the spot.

I chanted the spell I had made up just then.

"Goddess hear you daughter's plea,

To bring my mother back to me,

And to restore the power of three,

Bring me to when I want to be!"

A portal of swirling silver energies opened on the wall and I stepped in without a minutes hesitation. I was immediately hurtled into the past...

For some reason, when I stepped out of the portal, I was in the attic. It was a much different attic then the one I remembered. Gone were the boxes labelled Mel's baby clothes or Penny's old toys. I was in the past. The question was...when? I needed to find a newspaper or something to find out the date and figure out what I'm supposed to do.

I heard footsteps. I froze, wishing now more than ever that I had Penny's power of invisibility. Mom burst in the door, looking much younger, and shocked by the sight of me. _I don't think I'm born yet _I thought judging by mom's reaction. I suppressed the urge to run up to her and hug her. If I wasn't careful I could ruin everything.

"If you're a demon come back later, I'm busy", said mom in an exasperated sort of voice.

"I'm not a demon", I said quickly. "I'm from the future. My name is Mel...anie...Melanie!" Phew! Quick save. I'm almost as bad at lying as my mother. At least she couldn't yet read me like a book.

"Is Wyatt still evil?!" mom asked a glimmer of worry flashed in her warm brown eyes. I just now noticed how very much I looked like my mother. I hope she doesn't notice. After a minute of deciding on my story, I decided on the truth, the partial truth, and nothing but mostly the truth.

"Wyatt's good", I said quickly, remembering Chris' memories. I hoped I could allay that worry. "I came to the past to save the power of three", I hesitated for a moment before adding, "to save you."

"I see", said mom slowly, "how do you suggest we do that?"

I thought for a moment. Then it came to me. "We need to kill the avatars", I said.

Mom was stunned. You didn't need to be an empath to know that. "What about the perfect world I saw. The one with no demons. With my daughter."

I stiffened slightly at the mention of her daughter, but I retained my composure. "What vision", I asked quietly.

"I'll show you", my mother said. It was odd how quickly my mother trusted me. Had she sensed something she chose not to mention? I took her hands and saw the vision she had seen just yesterday. When I came out of the vision I had tears in my eyes. I remembered that moment, I remembered saying those words. That was the world of my childhood. But that world was gone now, replaced by darkness.

"Was my vision real?" my mother asked. "Was the world ever like that?"

I chose my words carefully. I couldn't risk destroying the future. "The world was like that", I said, "for a while. What the avatars are offering is true, but they're not telling you everything. At first the world was perfect, the gradually demons started coming back, then all hell broke loose."

She was starting to believe me. "What do you need me to do?", mom asked.

"Take me to Kyle Brody" , I said already formulating a plan.

Someone chose that moment to orb in...

**Okay lovely reviewers, here's where you come in. I've decided to ask in a poll who YOU want to have orb in. The story could go in many different directions. Vote in your review.**

**Chris at 16**

**Leo**

**Wyatt at 2**

**Wyatt at 18**

**Paige**

**Penny**

**Chris at 23 (the one who previously came to the past**

**Evil Wyatt**

_**remember it's your choice. Include your reasons why. More reviews, faster I update!**_


	6. Friendly Advice

**Chapter 6: Friendly Advice**

**A/N: Thank you for all your votes. I've decided on... Chris at 16! Just wanted to have a little more angst stuff with Chris. You love me! I own nothing.**

C.Charmed24/7: You must really want me to update. Okay, I'm updating.

teal lover: I am evil, aren't I. You can do something similar (not the same)if you Really want to.

IcantthinkofaFnick: Thanks for the vote, but I couldn't make it work.

Sparkling Cherries: I too love Drew Fuller. I've decided on as much Chris as humanly possible.

ilovedrew88: I personaly promise that they will eventually save Phoebe.

Alyssa Halliwell: Thanks for your many reviews. Keep up the good work (on reviewing).

My eyes widened in shock as I saw my cousin Chris orb into the room. "Chris!" mom yelled. Of course she'd recognize him. To her he had recently come from the future. I watched with minimal jealously as she ran up to hug him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked my cousin.

"Couldn't leave you alone", he said smiling slightly for the first time in years, "I'm here to help".

"You two know each other?" mom asked looking from me to Chris and back again.

Chris said, "Of course we know each other. Mel's my..."

_What the hell are you doing? _I said speaking into Chris' mind. _You have to tell her who you are eventually, _Chris argued right back into my head. We were used to telepathic conversations like this. It was the only way we could talk with no one overhearing. _What for?! _I asked indignantly. _They're going to have to trust us our we won't be able save anything, _Chris replied. _Fine, _I said finally.

Mom looked really confused by the time we had finished talking (thinking). I cleared my throat.

"Phoebe", I said, "I haven't been completely honest with you. My name is Melinda Prudence Halliwell. I'm your daughter". My mother's jaw dropped. She gasped. Then slowly, very slowly, she nodded.

"You're beautiful", she whispered, "more beautiful than in my vision".

"Oh mom!" I chocked, unable to hold back the tears. I rushed over to where she was standing and embraced her. I never wanted to let her go. My grief was now un concealable. Tears flowed freely down my face. I slowly parted with my mother, trying to pull myself together. I had to keep calm or there would be no chance of saving her.

"About my plan...", I said wiping the tears from my eyes. I wasn't able to finish. I felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of my head. Then I felt and thought no more. Everything went black...

I heard voices. Aunt Phoebe and Chris were arguing. "We can't go after the demon now! We have to call Leo so he can heal Melinda!" Chris yelled back, " Melinda doesn't want to see Leo right now. Trust me!" I opened my eyes. Actually seeing Leo wasn't such a bad idea. If I did things right I could stop him from being so evil. I could prevent Chris from going through all that pain. "Call Leo", I whispered, " You don't have to talk to him Chris, but I have to talk to him". Chris shot me a quizzical look. _I know what I'm doing _I thought back.

"LEO!" mom called. Leo orbed in immediately. I was a bit surprised. The Leo of my time had never come when you called him. Never. Leo looked curiously at me. When he was going to start asking questions mom held up her hand to stop him. "Heal now, ask later!" she said gesturing to me.

Leo placed a glowing, healing hand over my head and I felt immediately better. "I'm Mel", I said to my soon to be evil uncle. I pulled him into the kitchen where we could talk privately. "We need to talk". He looked confused, but I had no time for small talk.

"Are you an avatar?" I asked abruptly. The question had him completely taken aback.

"Yes", he answered slowly, "And...?"

"I'm your niece from the future. The avatars aren't telling you everything. They're not evil, but they're not good either. Don't let them change you. Ask questions. Ask for details. You'll be surprised at the answers", I said. Then I added as an afterthought, "Try to be nicer to Chris. Please. Don't ever hurt him. Never again."

Suddenly Leo froze. In fact, the whole room froze. The pendulum on the grandfather clock had frozen in mid swing. The fish had frozen swimming in its bowl. Was aunt Piper here? Then two avatars that I knew simply as Alpha and Gamma appeared in the room.

"We can't have you telling Leo our secrets", Alpha said.

Gamma said, "You're going to have to be taken care of..."

**TBC...**

**Please gimmie some more reviews. Then you'll have happy, happy me!**


	7. Fighting and Talking

**Chapter 7: Fighting and Talking **

**A/N: Only two reviews? Usually I get more. Do you still love me? I'm continuing anyways, because I got to such a good part of the story. This part is really good. It has demons, heart to hearts, mystery...everything. On with the show!**

DrewFuller4eva:Everyone does love Chris at 23, but he doesn't fit into my story. sorry I couldn't respond to your review last time. 

C.Charmed 24/7: You're really nice. You keep saying nice things, and keep reviewing. You rock. Don't ever change.

ilovedrew88: Everything will work out in the end. I won't tell you how cause it has to be a surprise.

"CHRIS!" I yelled back away from the avatars, "COME QUICK!"

Chris came running, and so did mom. Chris froze at the sight of the avatars. "We need to get out of here", I said to Chris through gritted teeth. "Without another word, Chris grabbed mom's arm, took my hand, and we orbed away.

When we reformed I knew exactly where I was. Part of me was glad Chris had orbed us here because I knew the avatars couldn't find us for an hour at least. But I was also terrified. Chris had orbed me to the Golden Gate Bridge, and he knew I was terrified of heights. "I don't like this", I whispered hiding my face in my hands. Mom came over to me while Chris scanned the city for signs of the avatars.

"What's wrong honey?" asked my mother.

"I'm afraid of heights", I croaked. My mom enveloped me in her arms.

"One thing I know about you", mom said, "I'd like to know more about you". I was about to say the whole spiel about future consequences, but mom raised a hand to stop me. "Nothing that could ruin the future", she said, "What's your favourite food? what do you like to do? Who's your best friend?"

I decided there was nothing to loose, and so as not to remember the moment she died I answered her. "Chocolate chip cookies, saving the world and Penny's my best friend since forever."

"Penny?" mom said curiously.

"Shouldn't have said that", I muttered.

"Is Penny your sister?" mom guessed.

"No", I said, "she's my cousin."

"Piper's?" mom asked.

"No", was all I said. Mom didn't need anymore. She understood. We were silent. I felt that we had done a little bonding. My mom was staring into the distance.

"Mom," I said.

"What if I can't save you? What if I have to watch you die all over again?" I'm embarrassed to say that by that time, I was openly crying. Chris came over and hugged me comfortingly. Mom hovered on the sidelines awkwardly. There was an odd silence between us. I waited for someone to speak. I looked up as I saw the familiar streaks of orbs on the beam beside us.

Leo appeared in front of me, a sad sort of look on his face. I took an involuntary step backwards. So did Chris. I felt him trying to put up a wall between himself and Leo. I knew that seeing his father again opened up old wound that would never be closed. He was remembering every missed birthday, every insult, every time he came only for Wyatt. The pain was so intense it was almost blinding. I knew mom felt it to, and I knew it shocked her.

"Son", said Leo stepping towards Chris. Chris took another step back looking at Leo with a look of pure hatred. "You have no right to call me that", he said vehemently. Most of his sadness had turned to rage by now. "You're my father biologically, but nothing more".

Chris was about to attempt to kill uncle Leo, to send him flying with a wave of a hand, but the avatars Alpha and Gamma appeared on the bridge flanked by 50 identical muscular demons. The demons formed a circle around me, my mom and my cousin. They glared at us menacingly, brandishing their weapons.

"Good job brother Leo", said Gamma coolly.

"Yes", Alpha said, "now we have everything we need or the ritual..."

**TBC...**

**Evil cliffie! Yay! The more reviews I get, the faster I update! **


	8. Ritual Purification

**Chapter 8: Ritual Purification**

**A/N: More reviews made me happy. I'm happy now, so I'm updating. After I'm done this story, I think I'll do a Penny based one. Thank you reviewers. If you still think I own Charmed, you're very wrong. Although I really wish I owned Charmed, I don't. **

Sparkling Cherries: glad you haven't abandoned me! Leo is a bit bad in this story.

C.Charmed 24/7:You must really want me to update. Ok, I will.

andy20: awsome. you think it's awsome.

IcantthinkofaFnick: read to find out!

ilovedrew88: Cliffies are fun! Leo's just bad at the moment.

-" Is the ritual prepared?"

-" They are here. All that is left is the blood. And the sacrifice".

My brain began moving a little faster. The rush of sounds around me became sharper, more distinct. My head was throbbing. I knew I must have been knocked unconscious. The avatars were planning a ritual that involved us. That much I knew for certain. Where was mom? Where was Chris? I tried to call to them, but I couldn't seem to open my mouth. I realised that I was bound and gagged. I felt someone beside me and I knew at once that it was Chris.

I knew because of the way he was feeling. He was feeling hurt, betrayed. Leo had done all this. It always came back to Leo. I think some of Chris' anger towards him was beginning to rub off. He certainly deserved it. I opened my eyes to a scene of horror. There was a pentagram on the floor drawn in a red substance I could only assume was blood. On one point I saw my mother tied up and still unconscious. Beside me was Chris. On the other two points were two young women that I didn't recognize.

"What do you want with us ?!" I yelled at the avatars, feeling much less courageous than I sounded.

"Since you will soon be dead", said the avatar Delta, "there is no harm in telling you." I loved it when the bad guys did that. It always came back to bite them in the but eventually. "We are preparing a ritual to eradicate all the demons from the earth so we can be all powerful. We are... eliminating our competition in a way. This requires blood from a Charmed One and her daughter, the hearts of twin witches and the life of a pure witch/angel.

We were the ingredients for the ritual. Mom , Chris, those girls who must be twins and I. I had always wondered why demons didn't exist when I was a child. No one knew why, only that it had something to do with the avatars. I would always question things, not knowing that the answer would somehow involve me.

We were totally and officially screwed. There was no hope, no help imaginable. Chris was struggling weakly against his bonds. The avatars were advancing upon us, they were forming a circle, chanting in some arcane language. The pentagram beneath us began to glow white. I sent out one last desperate telepathic message to anyone who would listen.

_Someone. Anyone. Please help us, we need you. They're gonna kill us. Please hurry. Aunt Piper, Aunt Paige! Please! Someone, anyone! We're in trouble... _I trailed off. Sending such a long and broad telepathic message took a lot of strength.

Suddenly the cave where we were kept was filled with a blinding white light. When the light faded I saw the most welcome person in the world...

**TBC...**

**Please read and review! **


	9. Prue to the Rescue

**Chapter 9:Prue to the Rescue**

**A/N: I'm back! I just had a major presentation to do at school, so I wasn't able to update, but I just did it (it was great by the way). By the title, you can guess who the person from the last chapter is. Thanks for reviewing, keep doing that. **

**C.Charmed 24/7: You like me, you really really like me! (does little bow.) I'm updating!**

**Sparkling Cherries:I'm evil: mwa ha ha! When I leave cliffies, it makes you want to read some more.**

**Alyssa Halliwell: Read and you shall know. Read and you shall know.**

**andy20: okay, I will, thanks for reviewing.**

**IcantthinkofaFnick: answer to your questions: Nope. Nope. Nope. dun, dun, dun!**

I smiled weakly at my aunt Prue. Because she orbed, I knew she was the aunt Prue from my time. Aunt Prue had been my whitelighter for as long as I can remember. In this time, however, no one had seen Prue since her death. "You have been busy in the past", said aunt Prue in a fake mocking voice.

"Could you get us out of hear?" I asked sweetly, "I'll tell you all about it later."

Aunt Prue undid my bonds. I noticed that the avatars backed away from her in fear. She helped me up and then Chris. "Thanks aunt Prue", he said softly. I untied my mom because I knew that if she saw her long lost sister, much more of the future would be ruined. Mom looked up at aunt Prue and I saw that her gaze was unfocused. She looked to be on the brink of consciousness. "Prue?", she whispered before collapsing in my arms.

"A little help here?" I said. I was having difficulty supporting my mother and I didn't want her to fall. Chris rushed beside me and put mom's arm over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here", I said to Prue, "but lets take them too". I was talking about the unconscious twins. Prue nodded and touched the twins on the shoulder. She held out a hand for me to hold. I grabbed her hands and felt the familiar sensation of orbing wash over me. We were going home.

We reformed in the living room of the manor. Aunt Prue placed a glowing, healing hand on my head and I immediately felt better. She then healed Chris, and then the twins. They were a bit distraught, but Chris comforted them. Finally, she healed mom. After that, she orbed away.

Mom rubbed her eyes with a confused look on her face. "Was that..." mom started. I silenced her with a look. _It's not time yet _I said into her head. "Who are they?" mom asked, referring to the twins. They were still in deep conversation with Chris.

"The avatars needed them too", I responded, "they're powerful magical twins."

"Oh", mom said nodding. The twins got up and walked over to us. Chris had just finished explaining the situation.

"Hi", said the one in the blue, "I'm Hannah and this is my sister Hailey. We appreciate your help, but our family will be worried. We will see you later." With that they disappeared in a swirl of golden light. We stared at the place where they disappeared, mom, Chris and I. There was a sort of awkward silence. No one knew what to say. The events that bore down upon our minds were beginning to take their toll.

Leo. He had betrayed us all, caused so much hurt, I was to late to save him. The avatars, they were the ever looming threat, so powerful, but I knew we could stop them. The demons. Without the avatars' ritual they would have been present in my childhood. How would that change my life then? Aunt Piper, aunt Paige, dad, Wyatt, Penny...god how I missed them. It was time for action.

"The avatars must be vanquished!" I said. I nearly laughed. I sounded a bit like an army captain. But someone had to take charge. If everyone just stood there staring at each other, nothing would ever get done. "Only one person has the only potion that can vanquish him, and that person is Kyle Brody."

Chris looked determined. Mom looked resolute. I was nervous. After all I had seen the avatars do, I was afraid what would happen if we didn't succeed. I had to keep calm, if my plan had any chance of succeeding.

"Let's go see agent Brody", I said smiling slightly.

**TBC... Please review and I'll be happy!**


	10. Alone Again

**Chapter 10 : Alone Again**

**A/N: Over 50 reviews! YAY!I know the last chapter was a bit rushed, but I was anxious to post something. I've noticed that I've been a little Chris light lately. I guess I got caught up in twists. This chap will be a little Chris heavy but then I'll probably get back to avatar action. **

phoebe turner: glad you liked it!

C.Charmed 24/7: Thank you, thank you (takes bow). fantastic? me? really?

ilovedrew88: I don't know if the avatars are really bad, but in my fic they are. I decided to make them bad because in the show there is something just not right about them.

Sparkling Cherries: I know the last chap was a bit rushed, but i was anxious to post something. Thanx for reviewing.

Alyssa Halliwell: No fic of mineis complete without a little Prue. 

IcantthinkofaFnick: I too love Chris and I will try to make him do more stuff, although it's kinda hard as I'm writing in Mel's P.O.V

"Honey", mom said , "I know we have to see Kyle to get the potion but I think I should go alone. Kyle's a bit _wary _of strangers right now."

Kyle? I thought. Then I remembered. That was agent Brody's first name. He must be going through that psycho phase that aunt Paige used to mention. "Okay", I said, "We'll be fine."

Mom bit her lip clearly worried about our safety. "Are you sure?" she asked, "I could get Paige or Piper to watch you"

"NO!" I said a bit to loudly. I was hoping some time alone with Chris would get him to open up a bit more. He was acting like he was fine, but I knew better. All he had done was put up his mask again. The same one he had used to hide the pain all these years. He was faking his happiness for aunt Phoebe's benefit. I didn't have to be an empath/telepath to know that. Seeing aunt Piper again so soon might make him close up forever.

"Okay Mel, whatever you want, I'll be back in an hour or so", mom said. She grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. One hour and this would all be over. One hour and the fate of the future would be decided. One hour until I know whether my mother lived or died. And I still didn't even know where Cole was.

"Chris", I said shyly. I don't know what has happened to me. Usually, I was a very outgoing person. With Chris, I didn't know what to say anymore. He was feeling things that I couldn't even pretend to comprehend. All I could do was listen. " Chris", I said again, a bit more confidently then before, "we need to talk."

And so we did. The words were flowing freely now. He told me about one of the earliest of the memories of his other life. It was his fifth birthday. He hadn't seen Leo in quite a while. Aunt Piper tried to get him excited because his daddy was coming. But Chris knew that he wasn't. He remembered it. He knew that all he would get was a letter. It would be like the other letters he would soon get. He knew because he remembered.

That's what he told me about next. The letters. He got a few a year. Christmas and birthdays mostly. One for everything Leo had missed. Wyatt had never gotten one. He kept the letters secret. He tried to pretend that Leo's absences didn't hurt him. It was also the content of the letters themselves. Most were pretty hurtful. They were also helpful. They told Chris when Leo had begun to change.

"I have one with me", Chris said slowly, taking out a crumpled piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans, "if you'd like to see..."

"Ya", I said eagerly. I couldn't help it. I was curious. He handed me the letter and I read in rapt silence.

_**Dear Chris,**_

_**As you know, once again I have missed your birthday. I won't even pretend to be sorry as you know better. You were an accident, and you are a disappointment as a son. I have much more important things to do then to attend your silly birthday celebration. If it were Wyatt that would be different. But you are a powerless weakling and an embarrassment to this family. I do, however, give you kudos for discovering the secret plot of the avatars. To bad no one will ever believe you. You're a screw up and you always will be. **_

_**Leo**_

Wow, I thought. That was harsh. I knew Leo was bad, but this was crazy. I looked at Chris and I immediately engulfed him in a warm hug. "I'll always be there for you Chris", I said quietly, "I hope you know that". He didn't say anything, but I knew he did.

At that moment aunt Paige orbed in, a little tired from her long day at magic school. She dropped her purse and gasped when she saw her teenaged niece and nephew sitting on her living room couch. "Chris?" she said interrogatively. Then she looked at me. "Who are you?" she asked

"I'm your niece Melinda, but call me Mel", I said. Then I added, "I'm Phoebe's daughter..."

**TBC...**

**A/N #2: Review, so I'll continue! I know I made Leo sound real evil, but it just fit with the story. Stay tuned for Paige's reaction and the final battle!!**


	11. Aunt Paige

**Chapter 11: Aunt Paige**

**A/N: You love me, you really, really love me! Does curtsey. I asked Santa if he could get me Charmed, but for now I don't own it. lol. To me, this chapter seems kind of like filler but I want this story to be really long and I'm sad it's almost over. Only a few more chapters. By the end of the story I promise you'll find out two things. The identity of Mel's father and the fate of the future. Read on! **

C.Charmed 24/7: Personally, I thought I was a terrible writer, but you think I'm great! I guess I must be. You're so nice!

Alyssa Halliwell: Had to have the note. Made Leo sound more evil. Which he is. In this fic.

"You're...", aunt Paige stammered. She tried again. "Phoebe's..." She faltered. She looked very tired and confused. I got up putting a comforting hand on my aunts shoulder.

"I came from the future," I explained gently, "we ran into a little problem." As I explained the situation to her, helped along by Chris, her expression changed from shock to fear to anger. We told her, although we did not tell my mother, the exact circumstances of the death of Phoebe Halliwell. Aunt Paige was horrified at this last piece of news.

"I'll kill those evil avatars if that's the last thing I do!" she ranted.

"That's the aunt Paige we know and love!" I said jovially. Even Chris was able to crack a small smile at that remark. Aunt Paige sank onto the comfortable couch in the living room. Me and Chris sat on either side of her.

"So you're really Phoebe's daughter", said aunt Paige. She still seemed to be in a state of shock.

"Yup, that's me", I said.

"I have a niece", she said. She smiled at the words that came out of her mouth. She hugged both her niece and nephew and started daydreaming about the future. She wondered about what could be and what would be. That got her started on reminiscing on what already was. Accidentally (of course) I heard her thinking to herself about the future. After that though, I used a combination of my powers of empathy and telepathy to allow Chris to hear what she was thinking too.

_I wonder if I have kids in the future. I've always wanted kids. I hope I'm with Kyle. I love him so much. I'm so happy every time I'm with him. He's great in bed too. He has the worlds biggest..._

"Aunt Paige! Ew!", I said leaping off the couch.

"Is that all you think about?!?!" Chris said in disgust.

"You're telepathic, huh!" Aunt Paige said in a half proud, half embarrassed voice.

"Just me", I said quietly.

"So about Kyle and me..." aunt Paige started. Chris stopped her. "Future consequences", he said quickly. Neither of us wanted to tell her what happened between her and agent Brody. Even before it happened when Chris was an infant and I wasn't even an idea we both new how much it devastated her. We couldn't tell her about the end of her next serious relationship, the one with uncle Kevin. That was even more devastating.

"We should get ready to vanquish those damn avatars", Chris said with conviction. He too had seen his aunt Phoebe murdered. It had affected him just as much as it had affected me. He continued, "Aunt Phoebe should be back in about ,(he checked his watch) , ten minutes".

"Chris is right," I said. "We have to bring lots of the potion when aunt Phoebe gets it". _And maybe a little of that other potion for agent Brody _I thought into Chris' head.

_It's too early, _He answered back , _We can't screw with the timeline... _

_**TBC... **_


	12. The Battle

**Chapter 12: The Battle**

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I went on vacation, then I got sick. I don't think this chapter is very good, but I wanted to post something. The next ones will be better. I'm sorry, but I can't reply to individual reviews. It takes to long. Thank you all!**

We were ready. At least as ready as ready as we could be. We had all changed into the least expensive clothes we could find as we were sure this would be messy. I was wearing a pear of mom's old jeans and an official P3 t - shirt. Chris hadn't changed. I knew why. Changing would mean wearing Leo's clothes. It would be to hard. In his mind he didn't have a father.

We waited impatiently for mom in the living room. I jumped when I heard the sound of a key turning in a lock. Mom was home! I ran to the door to meet her. In her hands she was carrying 5 vials of potion. She explained that she had brought as much as she could carry. I practically dragged her into the living room. We had to move fast . The avatars could sense this potion. The only reason they didn't steal it from agent Brody was that they knew what he was.

Aunt Phoebe was bringing aunt Paige up to speed. "You think you can orb us there?" I asked Chris. "Ya", he said nodding resolutely. I knew he was still hurting, but he was trying to stay strong, for my sake. "I know you can do it Chris", I whispered encouragingly.

Mom handed each of us a vial and slipped the extra one in her pocket. "We ready?" she asked. We all nodded. We grabbed hands and orbed away.

We reformed in a place that was dark, and downright scary. There were avatars everywhere. I didn't know there were this many. I felt white hot anger coursing through my veins. These were the beings that had ruined everything. I flung my potion at the nearest group of avatars causing a fire to erupt around their bodies. The others followed suit.

It wasn't enough. The avatars were encircled in flames, they were screaming in agony, yet they still weren't vanquished. "It's not enough!" Aunt Paige cried over the din. "We need a spell!" We all stared at her blankly. "Just start rhyming!" she yelled.

"We call upon our inner power", aunt Paige started.

Aunt Phoebe joined in, "to help us in this darkest hour".

" Destroy these demons, we witches cry", Chris continued.

I finished, "With this spell they all shall die!"

There was a blinding flash of light. And then the avatars were reduced to nothing more then piles of ash. "It's over", Chris whispered. I nodded in agreement. I thought it was over too. We were both wrong... It would never be over...

TBC... 


	13. Unexpected Surprise

**Chapter 13: An Unexpected Surprise**

**A/N: Thank You reviewers. You are all so nice! Exam time is approaching and teachers are pilling on projects, so I might not update very often. I hope you like this chapter. I just wanted to add a few more random twists. There will be about 15 to 20 chapters. Enjoy the story!**

We were all home. Chris, mom, aunt Paige, aunt Piper and the baby Chris and Wyatt. It was almost like old times. Almost. Leo hadn't come back, but I know he wasn't there when we killed the avatars. Aunt Piper was working on a potion that would bring us back to the future. I was a bit reluctant to go. Things were so good here, and the future was such an uncertainty.

We had killed the avatars, but would that be enough? It all seemed way to easy. I tried to push that thought to the back of my mind. I wanted to enjoy this time with my mother, as a part of me feared I could no longer have anymore. Mom was mothering me unbearably. I was now watching her attempt to cook spaghetti, which was a very funny thing to see. Chris was with me. He was being unusually quiet. I sensed immediately that something was wrong.

_What's wrong Chris? _I asked telepathically as not to draw attention to ourselves. I tried to keep my attention on my mother so she wouldn't get suspicious. _I was just thinking... _he replied ... _we didn't vanquish that Cole guy. _I got an unpleasant sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This couldn't all be for nothing. _What should I do? _I asked nervously. _Let me handle this _Chris thought.

"Aunt Phoebe", Chris said quietly. Mom jumped, clearly used to his silence. "We've run into a little problem. The only way to solve it would be for you to tell us about Cole."

The question had her taken aback. She stammered out an answer. I could tell that she was completely flabbergasted. "Wh...why do you w..wa...want to know?" she stuttered. Chris weighed out his response very carefully.

"He causes some problems in the future and we need to stop him. He is an avatar, but we're not sure if we vanquished him", Chris said as calmly as he could.

Mom was stunned. "We vanquished him!" she ranted, "Several times! What is his problem!". She sat down and took a few deep breaths. "What do you need to know?" she asked quietly.

"If we haven't vanquished him, we need to vanquish him immediately", I said as calmly as I could under the circumstances. His face kept flashing in my mind. Cole's. The cruel hate filled face as he paralysed me in place. The terrifying man who squeezed the life from my mother right before my eyes.

"I still have some avatar potion", mom said taking the vial from her pocket. " If he's an avatar it should kill him."

"Good idea", Chris and I said in unison. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Mom went to answer it. We heard her talking softly to someone at the door. There were footsteps coming towards us. Mom was ushering a young man in the sitting room. When I saw him my jaw dropped.

"Leslie", my mom said gesturing to the man, "these are my cousins Chris and Melinda." He uttered an awkward greeting waving to us.

" Mel, Chris, this is Leslie", she said to us. But I knew who that man was. I had known him my whole life. I didn't need an introduction. I had his stature, his talents, his build, and his nose. Leslie St. Clair is my father...


	14. Moments with Dad

**Chapter 14: Moments with Dad**

**A/N: I just did my English exam today, and I'm feeling very good. I have three other exams to be studying for, but studying is boring. I'd rather do this. Sorry for the shortness. The next chap is a song fic in Chris' P.O.V. I don't own Charmed. **

I stared at my father for a second that contained eternity. I could tell he was itching to talk to my other. I longed to run up to him, to hug him, to tell him who she was. I managed to restrain my self. I would see him when we returned to the future. "I'm just gonna go ... do something," I said excusing myself. I walked awkwardly o the other room listening all the way. If my mother sensed my uncomfortable manner, she said nothing.

"When I left I couldn't stop thinking of you," Dad said sweetly to mom.

"Me either," mom replied.

- " You're so beautiful."

- " I could say the same about you"

- " I think I've fallen in love with you."

- "I love you too."

_How sweet!_ The conversation went on that way for several minutes. Then I could tell they were kissing. (ew!) I got bored so I began to stare into space. I heard dad say goodbye and mom's footsteps heading my way. She walked into the room and looked me over. "What do you know about him that I don't?" she asked.

I blushed bright red. I should have tried harder to maintain my composure. "Was I that obvious?" I asked, embarrassed.

"I can tell," mom said, " you are my daughter. Just tell me." I thought it over. Nothing could happen if I told her, I guess. There had to be some conditions though.

"Only if you promise not to freak out, or tell anyone, or do something differently."

Mom thought for a moment. "I promise," she said.

"He's my father", I said in one big breath. Her mouth dropped. Then slowly, she nodded. She saw it now. She saw the resemblance. "I won't tell anyone", she promised. And I knew she wouldn't. She walked away smiling a little private smile and that was the last I heard of the matter. After she left, I became a little worried about Chris. He seemed okay. But was he really?


	15. Welcome to my Life

**Chapter 15: Welcome to my Life**

**A/N: This is a songfic to Simple Plan's "Welcome to my Life". It is in Chris' P.O.V about his feelings. You realise a few things Chris has been keeping pent up inside. Charmed/Simple Plan + me no own. I really should be studying for my exams, but I just had to write this. Hope you like this. **

_Do you ever feel like breaking down?_

_Do you ever feel out of place?_

_Like somehow you just don't belong_

_And no one understands you._

I've been an outsider for as long as I could remember. I was different from the rest of the family. I have two sets of memories. It's like I have two different lives. I wish one of them would understand. Mel knows, but she doesn't understand what it's like. Sometimes, I just feel like I want to star crying. The more I keep it inside, the more it hurts. I wish I could talk to someone, I mean really talk. But they wouldn't understand.

Even without the memories, I've always been different. My mom said I have my head in the clouds. I've never had friends. I just don't interact well with people, I guess. All the demons I've fought, the evil I've faced, I feel like I've been going through the motions. There is no one on this earth that can know what it's like. There isn't a soul who's gone through what I did. I discovered the truth about Leo and it scared me. I can't forget that in my other life my brother was evil and ruled the world. I wish I could forget.

_Do you ever want to run away?_

_Do you lock yourself in your room?_

_With the radio on turned up so loud_

_That no one hears you screaming. _

I've thought about running away. Numerous times. I've packed and unpacked my bags. Aunt Phoebe almost caught me once. But she never would have figured things out. I hide things well. Sometimes I think it's just so obvious. How I'm feeling, I mean. How many times have my door been locked while I contemplated suicide.

I actually tried it more than once. I cut myself. Several times people were home. I always decided against it when I felt the pain. I've always had a low tolerance for physical pain. I would scream so loud that I was afraid someone might hear. But no one ever did. Because they didn't listen.

_No you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels alright_

_You don't know what it's like_

_To be like me. _

People keep asking me if I'm okay. What they don't get is that I'm never going to be ok. I never have been. I've always had these memories. Just because they weren't real didn't mean that it didn't hurt. All the pain Wyatt had inflicted in that life, it was hard to bond with him now. And the death of his mother, that hurt the most. Especially if it turned out to be true.

It's hard, really hard. To be myself in this world hurt to much. It hurt that my father hates me. I occasionally wonder what he hates. I wonder what's wrong with me. . I just want him to love me. I just want to be loved. The hardest thing about my life is living it.

_To be hurt, to feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked when you're down_

_To feel like you've been pushed around. _

I've been hurt by every single one of them . For the most part, they don't realize what they're doing. Every time they yell at me it hurts me. I really don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to live. The hardest thing about the world is living in it.

It seems like every time they get angry I'm already miserable. I try so hard, but it's never good enough. I just want to be loved. Unconditionally. Mel says I have that from her, but it's not enough. I've never told anyone about what Leo says to me. A part of me thinks that if I push myself hard enough I'll be good enough. I know it's wrong, but I can't forget.

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_Welcome to my life. _

I always feel like I'm teetering on the edge. I'm always about to break down. I'm in so much pain. The only ones I've ever been able to talk to was aunt Prue and Grandpa. They were the only ones that would listen. No one else in my family even noticed. They didn't care enough to realize the pain I was in. Mel only noticed because of her powers. She didn't really notice. None of them did.

They never realized what Leo was doing. He's perfect in their eyes. So is Wyatt, Mr. Twice - Blessed one. It's not his fault, but the fault of his mother and aunts. They saw Wyatt as perfect, so they never questioned him. Often Wyatt would get angry with him when they yelled at me for something insignificant. It wasn't enough. They didn't realize what they were doing.

_Do you wanna be somebody else?_

_Are you sick of feeling so left out?_

_Are you desperate to find something more_

_Before your life is over?_

I wish I could be different. But I know that I can't. I want to have a father who loves me. I want to have a family who cares. I try to get my hopes down, to convince myself that it wasn't gonna happen. I don't want the memories. I try to forget them, tell myself they aren't real. But that's not the truth. Some of them are real.

I'm on the outside looking in. All the time. I could tell since I was young that I was different from all of them. I yearn for something, anything, to make life worth living. I need someone, anyone to hold on to. Mel isn't enough. I know who I need. I need my mother.

_Are you stuck inside a world you hate?_

_Are you sick of everyone around?_

_With their big fake smiles and stupid lies_

_While deep inside you're bleeding. _

After a demon attack, my mother and my aunts always say the same thing. Everything's gonna be alright. You say that all the time and I'm sick of it. There hasn't been a single instance when you actually meant it. No. So why do you say it anymore?

You smile and go about you business. What you don't realize is that things have never been all right. I've been in pain, my entire life. Each time Leo contacts me, each time I'm yelled at, a die a little inside. You say everything will be okay. You know it's a lie. I know it's a lie. So what's the point?

_No you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels alright_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_To be like me..._

_To be hurt, to feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked when you're down_

_To feel like you've been pushed around_

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_Welcome to my life. _

It all started when I was about four, I suppose. That was the age I realized two things. The first was that my father would never be there for me. It wasn't so obvious, but I knew it all the same. He wasn't coming to my birthday. I remembered clearly that he came to Wyatt's. But not to mine, I wasn't worth the effort. The second realization was that I was different.

That realization came a bit more gradually. The memories had always been there, but it was some of the more painful ones I couldn't comprehend. The worst were the ones about my brother Wyatt. How could my big brother, my hero, have hurt me so much? The memories about Leo were painful, yes, but they were nothing new.

From then on, things just got progressively worse. The hurt just built up, and I had no one I could talk to. I wanted to just let it all out. I sensed that if I did, I would feel a lot better. But then hiding it became a part of me. When Mel felt how I felt, it was like a mask I had been wearing for years had just crumbled away. It was liberating, yet at the same time frightening.

_No one ever lied straight to your face_

_And no one ever stabbed you in the back_

_You might think I'm happy_

_But I'm not gonna be okay_

The lies are what hurt most of all. They were for the most part unintentional, but they hurt the most of all. When Leo told me this time he'd make it, I used to believe him. When he said he wouldn't let me down, I thought this time he meant it. When my mother or one of my aunts told me things would be okay after Leo didn't show up I could see the dishonesty in their eyes. **_THE TRUTH! _**I used to want to scream. **_JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH! _**That's all I really wanted. All I had dared to hope for.

On the darkest of days, on the loneliest of nights I remembered the worst of all my memories. It was the memory of when I died. That one was fuzzy, as it was the last of them. I was stabbed in the back by someone I trusted. Someone I thought was a good guy. That feeling of betrayal was still there. I had a feeling it would never go away. I was, in a sense, stabbed in the back both literally and metaphorically as well. When people ask me if I'm gonna be okay I automatically say yes. In truth, I'm never gonna be okay.

_Everybody always gave you _

_what you wanted_

_You never had to work _

_it was always there_

_You don't know what it's like_

_What it's like._

I used to envy the other members of my family. I looked at their lives and thought about how easy they had it. They have a support system, unconditional love. It's everything I've ever wanted. Life came so easy to them. Everything in my life was so difficult. They were all in the dark about how I felt. I'm the one in the background, the one nobody remembers. I try so hard just to be good enough. It's never enough. All I want is to be loved.

_Welcome to my Life. _


	16. Back to the Future?

**Chapter 16: Back to the Future?**

**A/N: Thanks for the many nice reviews. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I just wanted to post something. It's almost done. That makes you sad. If you're pinning for my writing, read my other ongoing story "Actions Have consequences". **

They had to go. Mel and Chris knew this, but they really didn't want to leave. They were afraid of what they had changed. They were almost certain that killing the avatars would save Phoebe. But that was the problem. They weren't sure. They could never be sure. They might have changed things for the worst. Maybe their uncle Kevin would be alive. They had to hope. That was all they could do.

Their mothers and their aunt Paige had been eager for them to go. They had tried to convince them that staying there would make things worse. The truth was the Charmed Ones were heart broken by the thought of saying goodbye to their future children. The responsible side of him knew that the consequences of time- travel were too great. The Charmed Ones and their children had reached an agreement. The children would leave, when Leo was found, and the evil thoughts the avatars had planted in his mind were taken care of.

Phoebe, Piper and Paige had written a spell that they hoped would help Leo. They knew in their heart of hearts that Leo would not act this way if he were not being influenced somehow. Mel would help summon him. Chris had refused to be there. He never wanted to see Leo. Not ever again. Instead he had gone to Golden Gate Bridge where he sometimes liked to be alone with his thoughts. He had promised them that he would come back when Leo left, if they were going home.

The spell was ready. Mel would summon him, and the Charmed Ones would help him. That's what they wanted to happen. They prepared a crystal cage, mainly because this version of Leo was…well…dangerous. They didn't want anyone getting hurt. Melinda took a deep breath and started the summoning spell.

"I summon thee, I summon thee,

Bring Leo Wyatt here to me!"

There was a swirl of multi – colored lights and Leo Wyatt appeared. He attempted to rush towards Mel and the Charmed Ones. The cage caused him to ricochet off what seemed to be thin air. "What did you do witches!" he yelled in a very inhuman voice. Piper tried not to look at her husband as she grabbed her sisters' hands and recited the spell.

"We call upon our inner power,

To help him fight his darkest hour.

Remove the evil, blessed be.

Undo the enchantment,

Set him free!"

Leo's eyes lost a somewhat cloudy look they had. He looked a bit confused. Then he saw Piper's face, the look in her eyes, and he began to cry. "I'm so sorry Piper", he whispered. Then husband and wife locked in a warm embrace.

After a moment, Mel looked to her mother and her aunts and said, "I guess we're going home."

**TBC…**


	17. Going Home

**Chapter 17: Going Home**

**A/N: This was kind of finished, but I wanted to make it final. This is the last chapter. I'm wrapping everything up. I hope you like it. I own nothing. **

The goodbyes were short, yet tearful. The Charmed Ones found it especially hard to let go of Chris. They had said goodbye like this to the older Chris. He had died mere hours later. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Piper asked for the millionth time. Chris managed a small smile. His mother was being her normal over-protective self. He loved his mother, although they didn't always understand each other. It was his father she was worried about.

He knew in his heart that Leo was different now. That did not erase all that his father had done to him. He wasn't sure that he could handle seeing Leo. It was all so hard. Mel seemed to have sensed his worry, and she held his hands comfortingly. Mel gave him a sort of strength. She didn't seem afraid to see the new future they had created. She didn't seem worried that her mother would still be dead.

In truth, Melinda Prudence Halliwell was terrified. A torrent of what ifs were running through her head. The most important to her was if her mother was alive. As juvenile as it sounded, she wanted her mommy. She knew that their problems were far from over. Chris, though slightly happier, was still depressed. The only thing that would help him would be a long talk with his mother. Mel talked to him and she was pretty sure that he was convinced.

"Bye", said Chris.

Together, Chris and Mel through their vials of potion on the wall. Almost immediately a vortex swirled into existence. Without looking back, the cousins stepped in. They were almost immediately hurtled through space and time. It was so powerful that it caused both Mel and Chris' head to spin. When the spinning stopped they found themselves in the same attic. The attic was empty. They both sensed people downstairs. Cautiously, they walked to face their family.

At the foot of the stairs, Mel let out a squeal of delight. Sitting at the table, drinking coffee from a large mug, was her mother. Without hesitation, she ran to her mother and locked her in a rib cracking hug. "Oh mom!" she cried, "I missed you so much. Phoebe looked at her suspiciously. "Melinda Prudence Halliwell, what did you do?" Mel smiled mischievously. "It's a long story", she said.

Meanwhile Chris had run to his uncle Kevin. He was alive! They had saved him! Chris had always been close to his uncle. Uncle Kevin was like a father to him. After they had broken away, Chris was having a tearful reunion with his mother. Mel was surprised. Even after all he had been through, he had never cried. "What happened Chris?" asked Piper urgently. She was, as always, a worrywart.

"Mom", Chris said softly, "we need to talk." As mother and son walked into the other room, Mel telepathically told Chris, _It's gonna be okay. _For once in his life, Chris believed her.

_**THE END**_


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